Editing NATO Clandestine Planning Committee (section)

==NATO Clandestine Planning Committee==
The NATO Clandestine Planning Committee (CPC) was a secretive body established within [[NATO]] to oversee and coordinate covert “stay-behind” operations during the Cold War, including the controversial Operation Gladio. 

	The CPC was created in the late 1940s, evolving from the Clandestine Committee of the Western Union (CCWU), which was established in 1948 to coordinate anti-communist resistance in Western Europe.  After NATO’s formation in 1949, the CPC was integrated into its structure to manage clandestine stay-behind networks. These networks were designed to conduct guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and intelligence-gathering in the event of a Soviet invasion or communist takeover.  The CPC operated under NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), ensuring alignment with NATO’s broader defense strategy.